title: Single-molecule fluorescence photoswitching of a diarylethene-perylenebisimide dyad: non-destructive fluorescence readout.
abstract: Single-molecule fluorescence photoswitching plays an essential role in ultrahigh-density (Tbits/inch(2)) optical memories and super-high-resolution fluorescence imaging. Although several fluorescent photochromic molecules and fluorescent proteins have been applied, so far, to optical memories and super-high-resolution imaging, their performance is unsatisfactory because of the absence of "non-destructive fluorescence readout capability". Here we report on a new molecular design principle of a molecule having non-destructive readout capability. The molecule is composed of acceptor photochromic diarylethene and donor fluorescent perylenebisimide units. The fluorescence is reversibly quenched when the diarylethene unit converts between the open- and the closed-ring isomers upon irradiation with visible and UV light. The fluorescence quenching is based on an electron transfer from the donor to the acceptor units. The fluorescence photoswitching and non-destructive readout capability were demonstrated in solution (an ensemble state) and at the single-molecule level. Femtosecond time-resolved transient and fluorescent lifetime measurements confirmed that the fluorescence quenching is attributed to the intramolecular electron transfer.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, N20, W10, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan. tuyoshi@es.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukaminato
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tamaoki
authors.forename: Katsuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okuno
authors.forename: Yukihide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyasaka
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irie
mesh_terms: D005030:Ethylenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005453:Fluorescence; D007094:Imides / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010569:Perylene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D005030:Ethylenes; D007094:Imides; C510697:perylene bisimide; D010569:Perylene